Help with this Sapphire (pics included)

[SC86]

Hi All-
I’m pretty new to researching sapphires and what to look for. I’ve been educating myself with old posts, but am still unsure as to what to look for in terms of cut and color. I am okay with heat treatment only. So I’d really appreciate some advice/opinions on this stone I am considering for a ring.

I contacted some of the PS recommended CS vendors to source stones and this one caught my eye. What are your thoughts?

Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.0 x Depth 5.5
Color: Medium Royal Blue
Clarity: VVS (Eye Clean)
Treatment: Heated Only

 

[chrono]

Is this the right colour for you? It is definitely a medium blue but quite gray. It also has a dark band going across the center, known as a bowtie. If you are fine with that and the price is right, then that's a different matter. Do you have any example pictures of your dream stone? What is your budget, if you don't mind my asking?

 

[SC86]

Thanks for the response Chrono.

I know that color is a personal choice! Color-wise I think I'd like something like this:


The nuances in what is considered "too gray" in sapphires is confusing to me however. I would really like a medium blue color (not light blue, not too black/inky) and not violet/purple, if that makes any sense at all.

This color is ideal, but would likely be way outside of my budget:


My budget is about 8K for the stone, but could go up to 10K. But from what I've seen sapphire prices really vary (based on color, tone, saturation, and treatment - from what I understand), so I'm really unsure about what I can get within my budget. I'm looking for a fat oval shape.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[chrono]

Thanks for the example picture; it really helps! Yes, the tone you are looking for is likely a medium and the saturation is probably strong. When you say you want a medium blue, it only means that the tone is a medium tone. You have not shared how vivid (eye popping) the blue you like, but that picture gives me a fair idea of what you are looking for. The sapphire in the second picture has far better saturation that the one you are currently considering.

What size (mm or approximate carat weight) are you looking for?

 

[SC86]

I would like a stone at least ~10.5mm x ~9mm; carat doesn't matter to me as much. But I am not sure if my budget would allow for this size, so any honest advice realistic expectations about size or having to up the budget would be welcome.